


Time Stands Still | A Hat in Time Fanfiction

by Fennedragon341



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: #ahatintime, #bowkid, #cutcharacters, #hatkid, #snatcher, #vanessa, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25406599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fennedragon341/pseuds/Fennedragon341
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	1. The Journey of Time Continues

In the dark forest of Subcon, a single spirit floated amongst the tall trees. He was searching for something… someone. Who though… nobody knew. He would do this constantly… and without any reason. He would search near the bog… around the tall tree he called home… and would end up near the broken bridge that separated himself and his kingdom from the frozen tundra that was created by one’s rage… and the Manor.

He would glare as he passed the bridge… but nobody knew what it was. Nobody was standing where he was staring. After staring… he floated back to his own house. The phantom sat down in his chair… and pulled out the same book he’d been reading for the last few months. His eyes skimmed the two images that showed him how to kill kids. It… wasn’t the most helpful, but it gave him ideas. 

He sighed, putting the book down, and grabbing another. What he grabbed was a thick and heavy law book. Perfect for when he was bored… or worried about her. Opening the book, he looked out his window, eyeing the bridge. He knew she probably wouldn’t come crawling out of the Manor… but he knew she probably could.

If she ever did… he’d need to go out of his way, and protect his subjects. As King of Subcon, he needed to ensure the safety of the Subcon Dwellers… and his minions. His people. He lightly slapped the side of his head, trying to snap out of these worried thoughts. He couldn’t seem worried. At all. That was a sign of weakness. And he never liked appearing weak.

Ever since that child came around… he had grown soft, and a little weak. And he hated it. Whenever she was around, he tried to keep composed. But being mean to the kid… it kinda hurt him. Behind that menacing cackle… there was a little bit of sadness and regret. But WHY did he feel like that? He was supposed to be Snatcher, the all-powerful spirit of the forest! 

He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when one of his minions called out to him, “Hey Boss… the newbie is climbing trees again, and they’re the REALLY big ones…” He looked outside his window… and his eyes widened. He gasped, and flew out his window.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Hat Kid and Bow Kid were enjoying a breakfast of pancakes and bacon, cooked by their ship’s chef, Cooking Cat. Gobbling up their breakfast, the duo of kids discussed their plans for today.

“So Bow, should we go to Dead Bird Studios, Subcon Forest, or Mafia Town?” Hat Kid asked, ripping a piece of bacon in half with her teeth. “Mmmm… how about Mafia Town? We could go help Mustache Girl beat up some Mafia, and get some pons!” Bow suggested. “Well then, Mafia Town it is!” Hat exclaimed, jumping off her chair, and landing on the tile of the kitchen.

Bow gets off her chair, and goes over to the telescope, where Hat Kid was waiting for her. “Okay, let’s go!” Hat Kid said, teleporting the duo to Mafia Town.

Once in the town, they began to look around for their previous rival, Mustache Girl. Now that the duo had taught her that no justice was needed in this world, they had become great friends. “Hat, Mustache Girl said she’d meet us in her throne room.” Bow said, pointing up at the somewhat floating island above them. Hat Kid nods, running off to the cannon.

After some parkour, the kids reach their goal, the cannon that would take them up to the Mafia Casino. Hat Kid climbs in, but is stopped by her best friend. “Hat, wait… are we both going to fit? Or… will I have to wait out here?” Bow asked. Hat then looked into the cannon, and back at Bow. “You might just have to squeeze in.” Hat nervously replied.

It took a while, but both kids had shoved themselves into the cannon. “Ow… my leg hu-” In the middle of Bow Kid’s sentence, the cannon launched them upwards. 

Once on the somewhat floating island, the kids get up, and go into the casino. In the casino were many gambling machines, poker tables, and Mafia. A lot of Mafia. Most of them were running out from the throne room, and out the door.

“Wonder what they’re running from…” Hat Kid wondered, pointing at the Mafia, who were now jumping off the island. Bow Kid was too busy laughing at the jumping mafia to hear Hat’s question. 

Then, from inside the throne room, they heard someone yell, “THAT’S RIGHT! YOU BETTER RUN!!!” The duo quickly recognized that voice… it belonged to the one who claimed to be the hero... Mustache Girl. “Oh, there you are Mustache!” Bow exclaims, walking over to her friend. The red-hooded girl and Bow did a quick fist bump. “You showed those Mafia who they’re messing with! Good job, Mustache!” Hat exclaimed, still giggling at the fleeing Mafia.

“So, all I needed you here for was to help me clear out the Mafia in my palace. Think you can help me with that?” Mustache Girl asked, giving the other two a smirk. Hat and Bow looked at each other, and nodded. Of course they would help beat the crap out of these no-good Mafia! Especially since it gave them something to do.

After a few hours of kicking some Mafia ass, the trio had finally cleared out the whole place of Mafia. 

“Whoo! That was a buttload of fun!” Mustache exclaimed, raising a tired fist to the sky. “Yeah… now I think I know where we need to go next.” Hat said, looking over at Bow. “Hm? Where?” Bow asked, tilting her head. Hat stood up, and walked over to the exit of the somewhat floating island palace. 

“I just remembered that I saw a Time Piece floating around in Subcon Forest earlier. We might need to go grab that.” Bow nods, walking over to her friend. “Oh… so… you’re leaving now?” Mustache asked, a frown now displayed on her face. 

The duo of kids looked at each other with nervous expressions. Did they really want to just leave Mustache Girl so suddenly? Well… they really had no choice. The Time Pieces could be dangerous if the wrong people got their hands on it. 

“Sorry Mustache… this is quite urgent…” Hat said, grabbing Bow’s arm. Suddenly, the duo teleport away. The red-hooded girl just stood there, an annoyed look on her face. It wasn’t so urgent EARLIER! Why do you have to leave now?!? She thought to herself, stomping her way back into her throne room.

She huffed, sitting back down on her throne, which used to belong to the leader of the Mafia. Now that his insides had been put in a jar, he couldn’t really be their leader. So, she did the only logical thing of stealing the throne. It was hers now. And nobody in Mafia Town cared.

Yet… the rest of the world hated her. Even if she was forgiven, she’d be looked down upon. And she hated that feeling.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------  
Hat and Bow had teleported themselves back to their spaceship. Their home. But they weren’t there to relax. They needed to get over to Subcon Forest, where Hat had spotted a stray Time Piece. The duo went into the bedroom, where the telescope to Subcon was. 

“So.. where exactly did you see it?” Bow asked, giving Hat a questionable look. “High up in the trees.” Hat responded, suddenly teleporting the duo over to Subcon Forest.

“In the trees? Didn’t Snatcher say not to go up into them?” Bow questioned her with a concerned tone to her voice. The last time the two were climbing trees… Snatcher had to come and save them from being hanged. When Hat was jumping to a different branch, she got her head caught in a noose. Snatcher wasn’t happy… and very cross with them.

“Yeah, yeah, but you know how Time Pieces can be VERY dangerous in the wrong hands!” Hat Kid argued back. Bow looked at her friend, rolled her eyes, and followed Hat up into the trees.

A long climb later, the stray piece was finally visible. On a small platform tied to a tree, it floated in place, slightly glowing.

“Aha! Now all we have to do is jump for it!” Hat Kid exclaims, getting ready to jump. She bent down, put on her sprint hat, and charged. Her umbrella flew out of her hand as she jumped off the platform, and over to the other one.

“Hat wait! Your umbrella!” Bow exclaimed, reaching her hand out to Hat. But… it was too late.

Hat Kid had missed the platform, and was now falling to her demise.


	2. An Icy Fate

No.. no… please not like this… I can’t die… not now… I-I’m too young to die…! R-right? Well… Snatcher did say to live fast, die young… and leave behind a pretty corpse. Well… at least I’m getting two out of three right…

Everything was starting to go into slow motion for Hat. Wind blew against her, bringing the cold chill of death even closer. The ground seemed to get closer… and closer… It seemed as if there was no escape from death. She closed her sky blue eyes… ready for impact. The ground was ten feet… five feet…

“NO!”

Hat Kid suddenly opened her eyes, feeling herself being… caught? 

“Kid! What the HELL were you thinking? Climbing large trees without your umbrella? You either WANT to die, or your dim-wittedness had taken over at the wrong moment!” A voice growled.

Hat then recognized this deep voice… and saw the purple noodle-like form that was holding her. Snatcher had saved her once again. But… the phantom’s face wasn’t one of joy. He looked… angry. Maybe even a little disappointed.

Hat Kid opened her mouth, trying to speak to the supposedly angry noodle. But… no words came out. That was quite the fall, and the child was now petrified. What if Snatcher had never saved her? What if she did die right there and then? Would anybody (aside Bow) even care? Snatcher had always sought after killing her… and the two directors had put her through a lot of near-death experiences. But did they care?

Did anyone care?

She was terrified of the thought… her friends not caring if she left this world. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snatcher was continuing to lecture Hat about being more safe… but noticed the child’s distress. Well… she DID just fall from quite a tall tree. It would make sense if she was too scared to talk at the moment.

“Uhhhhhh HELOOOOO?!? I NEED SOME HELP UP HERE!!!” Bow suddenly exclaimed from the top of the tree. Snatcher looked up, and gave Bow a dumbfounded look. “Kid, you have two umbrellas! Just jump!” He yelled.

Bow violently shook her head, clinging onto the tree she was standing next to. Nobody really knew… but she was terrified of heights. Even if she could jump down, she wouldn’t. Snatcher was now torn between helping Hat calm down, or getting Bow down.

Both were terrified, each of something different. But he had made his decision.

“Just wait there, I’ll get you down eventually!” Snatcher teases, waving up at the shaking Bow Kid. She makes quite the annoyed face… but she did know this was normal Snatcher behavior. Hopefully he would actually keep his word… she hated being up there.

Snatcher flew off, Hat still in his arms. They made their way over to Snatcher’s house… but Hat catches a glimpse of something… someone. Across the broken bridge… a tall, black figure stood there. It wasn’t just any figure… no… it was Vanessa. Had tried to struggle, but found herself frozen in shock. 

What was that crazy old mop lady doing outside of the Manor? Didn’t Snatcher say she couldn’t escape?

Another glance back… she was gone. No trace of Vanessa remained. Was she seeing things?

A few minutes later, the duo arrived at Snatcher’s tree. The phantom gently set Hat Kid down on his chair, and patted her on the head. “Just… stay here kiddo. I’ll be right back. And DON’T think of running off on me! This forest is dangerous, and you know that all too well.” Snatcher warned the child, now floating off to grab the other kid.

Hat made sure Snatcher had left… and got up. She needed to know if Vanessa had actually escaped, or if she had lost it completely. A short trek later, she reached the broken bridge that separated Subcon Forest from the Manor, and all the ice that came with it. Why this all happened… was a long story.

A few rifts around the place had given her a good idea of what had happened. A prince and princess fell in love… then something happened to where the princess grew outrageous, and locked the prince up, freezing her kingdom. What happened to the prince… she didn’t know. A page had been torn out, so she never got to know.

It was terrifying just thinking of what happened… and how that story never got a happy ending. It was just… heartbreaking to see such a tragic tale, even to a child.

From out of the corner of her eye, she could spot a black figure roaming through the snow. Black… phantom-like… inhumanly tall... 

It was definitely Vanessa. But why was she outside? And near the bridge? Hat was so confused, but knew she had to do something about this scary mop lady. She jumped across the bridge, only a few meters between the two.

“H-hey you! What are you doing outside of the Manor?” Hat Kid yelled. Vanessa’s red-eyed gaze suddenly fell upon the child with a cold glare. Hat shivered, backing up a few paces. God she was scary as peck… but up this close, she was terrifying!

“Young child… why is it any of your business why I’m outside of my Manor?” Vanessa asked, a raspy tone to her voice. A chill went down Hat’s spine, realizing Vanessa was actually TALKING to her. That was… different.

“Y-you shouldn’t even be outside! Snatcher says that you never come outside of your-”

In the middle of Hat’s sentence, Vanessa shot a beam of ice in her direction. Hat jumped out of the way, grabbing for her umbrella. But… the sudden realization kicked in. Bow still had her umbrella.

Oh boy… this was going to be one tough fight.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snatcher eventually reached Bow Kid, who was still clinging onto the tree trunk for dear life. “Oh THERE you are, Snatcher! Thought you would just leave me here!” Bow exclaimed. 

Snatcher only laughed, floating around Bow. “Oh, I would gladly leave you here! I mean, why not get rid of a certain annoying child!?!” He cackled. Bow made a typical pouty face at Snatcher, waiting to be rescued. 

“Ugh… FINE. I’ll save you…” Snatcher grabs Bow, and sets her down safely on the ground. Bow gives out a large sigh of relief, now that she was finally back on the ground. The nice, solid, not in the sky, much safer ground.

“Alright.. let’s go find-”

“ICE!!!” Bow exclaims, jumping out of the way of an ice beam. Snatcher’s expression goes from a “what” to “oh god…”. In the distance, both Snatcher and Bow could see Hat fighting Vanessa without her umbrella. The duo look at each other, and quickly dash off to the current battle.

Ice flying everywhere, wails of pain from both of those fighting, and insults were being yelled. But what caught Snatcher’s eye… was Vanessa herself. How did he not notice her come out of the Manor? Was he too worried about Hat to notice? Ugh, feelings stink…

I knew that kid was going to be trouble… she’s distracting me from my duties! Why do I care about her so damn much!?! Snatcher grumbled in his head, forgetting to watch the battle.

Bow was being dangled over the ground by Vanessa at the moment. Hat Kid runs at Vanessa, now wielding her bat. “You back off from her, you stinky MOP!!!” She yells, swinging at her. Vanessa doesn’t take this lightly, and throws Bow into a large icicle. With a thud, Bow falls onto the ground, unable to get up. Hat gasped, and glared at Vanessa. She definitely wasn’t happy about that. Hat continued her charge, angrily yelling.

Behind Vanessa’s back, she seemed to be creating something with her magic. Not a beam… but a knife.

Snatcher’s eyes widened at the sight of this ice knife… as he seemed to remember something.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was hung there… chained to an icy wall. He was never to be found by anyone… and that was the Queen’s order. She didn’t want anyone to know what he went through now that he had BETRAYED her. 

The young prince had been there for weeks… no water, food, or warmth. He hadn’t seen his princess in so long… it felt like an eternity since he saw her. Footsteps could be heard coming down the wooden stairs. Someone was coming downstairs… and the prince got excited. Was it someone who could free him from his icy prison? No. It was his princess. But she looked… different. Her eyes were a bright red color… and her skin seemed to be blackening. He last saw her weeks ago… and she didn’t look this bad last time.

“Vincent, my prince~” The princess cooed out, walking over to the prince. A chill suddenly went all throughout the room, making the prince shudder.

“V-Vanessa… please… let me go…” The prince pleaded, looking into his lover’s eyes. Her eyes… they only glowed with hatred… and malice towards him. She continues to creep closer to him, her footsteps becoming louder with each step towards him. By now, he was trembling in fear. This… wasn’t the princess he knew a while ago.

This… was a monster. Only a husk of the person he once loved.

“Oh Vincent… how naive of you to think I’d just let you go…” The princess teased, putting a hand to the prince’s cheek. He shuddered, feeling the cold of her hand. It felt just like ice touching his skin. “Vanessa! Please… snap out of it! I know this isn’t you…” He tried to argue.

But that didn’t seem to convince her. Instead, she only drew even closer to his hanging body. “Heh… you know Vincent, I still regret choosing you so long ago… I was so naive to think you had truly loved me…” Vanessa said, something beginning to materialize in her hand. 

The prince gained a scowl. “I did…! I… I loved you with all my heart, Vanessa!” He yelled with most of the strength he had left.

A moment of silence… then a laugh. The princess was starting to laugh. “You THINK I believe you!?! The only thing I believe is that you betrayed me!” 

She held up what she had materialized.

An icy knife.

It glistened against the vague sunlight that shone through into the dungeon.

“V-Vanessa…! Please… no…! D-don’t hurt me…!” The prince desperately pleaded, tears beginning to fall. 

“My prince… you need to learn your lesson.”

And with that… Vanessa swiftly brought down the knife.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snatcher jolted up, now being brought back to the present. He saw Hat Kid still charging at the rampaging Vanessa. But what the child didn’t know was that she was hiding a frozen knife that looked almost identical to the one the prince was stabbed with.

“You fool… NEVER DEFY ME!!!” Vanessa yelled, thrusting the knife at Hat.

Snatcher gasped, and by instinct, flew forward.

He grabbed Hat Kid, but was too late to escape the icy knife.

It plunged into him… and he fell into the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, I love cliffhangers. Always so dramatic, aren't they? 
> 
> Aside that, I hope you enjoyed reading this! It took a lot of planning, so seeing you guys enjoying this pays off!


	3. Fire And Ice

Snatcher howled out in pain, the ice knife plunging into his side. He dropped Hat Kid, and clutched his side in pain. He had half-expected the knife to go right through him, being he definitely wasn’t blue. But… how exactly did that work? 

That couldn’t matter right now. Wondering would have to wait. He had some mop ass to kick in that moment. With a pained expression, he returned to his floating state, and lit his hands.

Hat Kid quickly ran over to Bow’s side, making sure she was okay. “Hey Bow… you good?” She asked, kneeling down next to her friend. “Yeah! I’m good.” Bow responded, getting up. The duo then turn their gaze to Snatcher and Vanessa, who were having a stare-off. 

“Vanessa. You have five seconds to run before I blast your face.” Snatcher hissed, scowling at the mop queen. “Oh… you think I’m scared of you?” Vanessa replied, taking a few paces towards Snatcher. She was still holding the knife, and looked ready to plunge it into Snatcher again.

“Well you SHOULD be scared.” Snatcher threatened, a ball of fire beginning to form on one of his hands. Vanessa stepped back a little, feeling the heat of the fire in Snatcher’s palm. The fire seemed to be intensifying by the second, growing alongside Snatcher’s desire to kill her on the spot.

Vanessa backed away even further, eventually turning around to walk back to the Manor. Bow Kid’s eyes light up… and she takes out her bat. “Heh… I’ll make sure she goes back to the Manor.” She says, running after Vanessa. 

Suddenly, the pain coming from Snatcher’s knife wound was suddenly unbearable. He made quite a pained expression as he laid back down in the snow. Hat Kid gasped, and ran over to him.

“S-Snatcher!?! What’s wrong?” Hat asked with a worried tone to her voice. She began to inspect the noodle for the source of his pain. “Nothing, kid. Unless you TRULY didn’t see what I did for you back there.” Snatcher said, attempting to get up out of the snow.

His body started to feel so cold… the ground beneath him starting to freeze. But… feeling cold wasn’t a normal thing for him. Ever since he died, cold had become a thing of the past. Even if he was over here, where Vanessa lived, he wouldn’t feel a temperature difference. But now, he could feel the bitter cold of the snow. And it was starting to pull him out of consciousness. 

“O-oh… thanks again, Snatcher…” Hat said, realizing what he did for her. He took a blow for her. But… why? He was always so intent on killing her, and laughed at seeing her die. But why did he start to suddenly care? All that would have happened was… her final death. Right… she kept on forgetting...

Ever since she had defeated Mustache Girl, and saved the world, she risked her ability to respawn so she could reset time. It was hard to deal with not being able to respawn at first, but she eventually got used to it. And one of the first people she told about this was Snatcher. Well… good thing he remembered…

Looking over at the noodle, she then realized something. He was unconscious… and his lower half was now encased in ice. The ice on Snatcher’s body was slowly starting to creep up to his torso, and that definitely wasn’t a good thing in Hat’s eyes.

Bow raced over, being she had chased Vanessa with a bat the whole way to the Manor. “W-What happened to Snatcher!?!” Bow questioned with an alarmed tone. “Uhhh Bow, we might need to fix this!” Hat exclaimed, giving a panicked look to Bow. “Well how in the first place did this happen?!? We can’t do anything if we don’t know what caused it!” Bow reasoned.

“Well we need to do SOMETHING before he freezes up, and turns into a SNATCHERCICLE!!!” Hat yells. Both girls were a little too busy to notice a third person come in, and look at what happened. “Err.... hey newbies? I think I know how we can fix the boss-” One of Snatcher’s minions quietly says, hoping they weren’t interrupting anything.

Both of them turn to the minion. “How???” They ask in sync, giving the minion a hopeful look. “Well… It’s going to be a little difficult, being the boss HATES the solution.” The minion explains. 

“Well… what is it?!? It’s not like he can fight whatever the cure is right now… he’s turning to ice…” Hat asks, giving a worried look to Snatcher. The ice was now up to his torso, and was still slowly climbing up his noodly body. 

The minion sighs. “Two words. Fire Spirits.”

Both kids look at each other with nervous expressions. How were they going to convince the Fire Spirits to help Snatcher? All they wanted to do was die! But… it was their only hope to save Snatcher from freezing to death. So, the duo of kids quickly raced off to where the fire spirits usually hung out.

After a few minutes of running through Subcon forest, the duo finally encounter the ever-so-suicidal Fire Spirits. “We want to die…! Yayyyyyy!” A Fire Spirit exclaimed, twirling in the air. Another pitched in with, “We want to burn, and become a cloud of smoke!” Hat and Bow looked at them, and then at each other.

“How are we gonna get them to do stuff?” Bow asked. Hat shook her head, and shrugged. “Hmm? What are you two doing out here…?” A Fire Spirit suddenly asked, turning towards the duo of kids. 

Bow and Hat looked very confused, seeing the Fire Spirit act this way. “Uhh… hey Fire Spirit, you think you can help out Snatcher?” Bow asked. The Fire Spirit stood there, as if thinking. “Of course I can! Where is he?”

Hat gestured for the Fire Spirit to follow her as she began to run off in the direction of the bridge.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the Manor, Vanessa was sitting down on her bed, writing frantically on a wall with a knife. Before that… she was doing quite questionable things with it. Where she was at the moment was even more questionable though. She was hiding in a hidden floor of the Manor. One that nobody, aside herself, had seen. Well… the only person still alive to see it was her… and another. 

Anyone aside from them who went up here would be immediately turned to ice. This floor was Vanessa’s hideout. Wherever you looked, there was writing on the walls, and nothing more.

“Vanessa… what are you doing up here…?” A voice called out. Two reddish eyes shone from a doorway, curiously peering over at the Queen. Vanessa looked over with a gasp, and then a growl, but stopped once she realized who it was. 

“I’m just… trying to calm down…” She responded, quickly hiding the knife. The figure went over to Vanessa, looking at her wall carvings. Most of which said, “My prince will return” or just the word “Prince”. But the figure did notice more than just the carvings. It also noticed the knife.

“With a knife…? You best not be trying to harm yourself… I don’t like it when you do things like that.” The figure said with a worried tone. They tried to grab for the knife, but Vanessa shifted away from them. “No. This is mine.” She hissed, clutching the knife closer. “Vanessa, what were you doing with that knife? I need to make sure you didn’t-”

The knife was suddenly put into the figure’s hand. Not stabbed, but gently rested in it. “Fine then. Take the damn knife. Just don’t question me.” Vanessa snapped. The figure gave her an even more worried look. Vanessa would only act like this whenever she did something to herself.

And then the figure saw it. A large gash on her arm, tearing the fabric of her dress. It was most definitely a knife wound. “Vanessa… please stop harming your-” “I’M A GODDAMN MONSTER, YOU HEAR ME!?! I CAN’T KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS!!!” She suddenly yelled. 

This made the figure go quiet. They had seen what Vanessa had gone through. All the pain from her heartbreak… from turning into a monster. They tried to help her, but it was deemed useless half the time. They had another job that kept them away from Vanessa most of the time.

The figure sat down next to Vanessa. “My lady… you may be a monster, but appearance means nothing.” The figure says, hugging Vanessa.

She gently hugs them back, sobbing to herself. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We got one!” Hat yells, nearing where they left Snatcher.

A bunch of Snatcher’s minions were on top of him, making a lousy attempt to keep their boss from freezing over. To the kids, it looked absolutely hilarious to see so many minions piled on top of Snatcher.

“Oh my… allow me to help-”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Get it AWAY from me!!! I don’t want that… THING touching me!!!” Snatcher suddenly yelled. 

“When exactly did he wake up?” Hat asked. “Oh, when he sensed the Fire Spirit. As I said, Boss hates them!” A minion states. “YES! I HATE THEM WITH A BURNING…” Snatcher stops, and winces in pain.

The Fire Spirit goes over to Snatcher, and uses some of its fire magic on Snatcher. While the Fire Spirit did its job, Snatcher just hissed at it. It took a bit, but eventually, Snatcher was freed from Vanessa’s ice.

Then, he picked up the Fire Spirit.

“HAHAHAHHA!!! FOOL! YOU DARE GO NEAR ME, AND NOW YOU SHALL PAY!!!” Snatcher yells, teleporting off to the well. He then throws the Fire spirit into the well, making it vanish forever. 

Once he teleported back, everyone ran at him, and gave him a hug. They were all so worried about him, and needed to express how relieved they were to see him okay. “N-no!!! Get off me!” Snatcher pleaded. Nobody listened to him. They all just kept hugging the noodle. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening, Snatcher had disappeared off. Nobody knew where he went. A few of Snatcher’s minions were looking around the forest, alongside Hat and Bow. Hours of searching passed, and there was no noodle in sight.

They had checked the well, around the bridge, and the bog, but no Snatcher. Everyone was starting to get worried…

Where did that goshdarn phantom noodle go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... so many mysteries! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I also hope you have an amazing day/night!


	4. Truth

The search for Snatcher had been going on all evening, and everyone was starting to get worried. They’d looked high up in the trees, and even around Vanessa’s Manor, but still no sign of him. Where had he run off to? He never usually did this…

“Snaaaattccchhheeerrr!!! Where the peck did you go?!?” Hat yelled, looking around his house. Bow was accompanying her, making sure they stayed safe. “Hat… language…” Bow grumbled. Hat sighed, giving a slightly angry look to her friend. “Come onnn… you sound like an adult when you say that!” Hat whined back.

“Well ONE of us has to be responsible, right?” Bow argued, crossing her arms. Hat gave her a dumbfounded look, also crossing her arms. Bow rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine… I know I can’t be responsible… I mean, I HELPED you beat up almost half of Mafia town!”

During their small argument, a minion had approached them. They silently waited for the duo to finish before speaking. “Yeah. Now stop being such an adult, and keep looking for Snatcher!” Hat exclaimed. “Uhhh… hey newbies?” A minion pipes up, now knowing that the duo were done arguing. Hat and Bow turned over to the Minion with worried looks. Did it have news about Snatcher? Did anyone find him?

“Boss isn’t in the Manor… I checked. But I do have two more places you guys can look! You could probably try to go to the far end of the forest, or on top of his tree!” The minion suggested. 

“Alright then! I’ll go check by the far end of the forest! Hat, you gonna come?” Bow asked, turning around to walk off. Hat put a finger to her chin as she thought. Would it be best to stick together… or split up to cover more ground? If we did split, we definitely could find him faster…

“No, I’m gonna go climb the tree! Good luck searching, Bow!” Hat exclaimed, running over to Snatcher’s tree. Bow shook her head with a smirk. She knew Hat was always the more likely one to run off on her own, being she was more independent that Bow. 

Hat began her long climb up Snatcher’s tree, using a vine to get to a tall branch. She looked up with a sigh, realizing how long she’d probably have to be doing this. Getting to the top of his tree was always a struggle, being she couldn’t teleport like Snatcher’s minions, or fly like Snatcher. Well… guess it was going to be quite the long climb, wasn’t it?

A few minutes later, Hat was about halfway up the massive tree. Being up this high, she could feel the cold winds blow against her, making her shiver a bit. But nevertheless, she kept climbing. She was quite determined to reach the top, being Snatcher could be up there.

After falling quite a few times, Hat Kid had almost reached the top. She was cold, exhausted, and a little hopeless. She’d spent so long looking, so she didn’t know if he had just returned or not. Had she climbed his tree for no reason? Yes, it was worth searching, and the view was impressive… but was Snatcher really up here? And why couldn’t Snatcher’s minions go and look up here themselves? Were they just-

As she made another jump upwards, she could begin to hear a voice. Was it... someone singing?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alas, my love, you do me wrong...”  
“To cast me off discourteously...”  
“And I have loved you oh so long...”  
“Delighting in your company...”

“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady greensleeves…”

When she made the final jump, she found who was singing. It was a black noodle, sitting on top of the tree. It was Snatcher. But… why was he singing? And what was he singing? She began to walk closer, continuing to listen to the song he was singing.

“If you intend to be this way…”  
“It does the more enrapture me…”  
“And even so I still remain…”  
“A lover in captivity…”  
“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady greensleeves…”  
Hat had never heard this song before… but it gave off a sad and somber vibe. She silently approached Snatcher, and sat next to him. His eyes were closed, and instead of his typical smile… he was frowning. She did wonder why he was singing about someone being in love, but being tortured. And also, who was this Greensleeves lady? Hat shook her head, and resumed listening to this weird song.

“Greensleeves, now farewell, audeiu…”  
“God, I pray he will prosper thee…”  
“For I am still thy lover true…”  
“Come once again and love me…”

“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady Greensleeves…”

And with that, Snatcher sighed, and began to look over in the direction of the Manor. “Vanessa… Must you stay in this state forever…? I just wish… things could go back to the way they used to. I wish-”  
“Snatcher…?” Hat Kid interrupted, tapping him on the shoulder. “K-Kid!?! What are YOU doing here!?!” Snatcher yelled, backing up. He didn’t look angry… just alarmed. “Looking for you…? I mean, you’ve been gone all evening!” Hat Kid exclaimed

Snatcher sat there silently, staring at Hat Kid. The expression on his face was constantly changing. Hat was getting more and more nervous by the second. What was Snatcher even thinking about?  
“I’m sorry for worrying you.” Was all that escaped the noodle’s mouth.  
“W-what?!? You’re sorry…?” Hat Kid exclaimed. She couldn’t believe her ears. Was Snatcher APOLOGIZING!?! Was he sick? No… he was a ghost! He couldn’t be sick… right? But yet… he didn’t look okay.

“What…? Can I not be sorry?” Snatcher asked in a saddened tone. This was nothing like Snatcher, acting like this. “Are… are you okay?” Hat Kid asked, looking up at Snatcher. 

“Kid. When have I ever been okay…?” Snatcher asked with a hiss. He seemed to get angrier with each passing moment she was there. As if he truly wanted to be alone. Hat Kid frowned, and stood up.

“Let me rephrase that then. What’s wrong? You seem pretty sad.” Snatcher gave her an angry glare… but softened up quickly. It’s not like she would leave him alone anyways. She cared… a little too much about him.

Plus, he couldn’t hide it from her forever.

“Kiddo. Allow me to explain then. As long as you shut your mouth, and sit quietly.” Snatcher said. Hat nodded, and sat right back next to him.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Do you remember that book you found in that strange Time Rift of yours…? The one you gave me?” Snatcher asked Hat Kid. She nodded, scooching a little closer. “Well… there’s a page missing in it…” 

“I know… and I’m sorry. I know how much you love books… and I gave you one that was missing a page...” Hat apologized, looking down. Snatcher gave her a saddened look. “No. No need to apologize. When you gave it to me, it was a complete story. I… ripped out a page.” Snatcher admitted.

A short silence followed as Snatcher summoned a piece of paper. The missing page of the book. Hat Kid eagerly took the paper, and looked at it. It depicted someone that looked like Snatcher chained to a wall, wearing a crown… wait. 

Oh no. Oh nonononononononononononono. OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo- Snatcher he… he COULDN’T BE-  
“Yes. I was previously the… prince…” Snatcher mumbled. There. He had said it. Now all he had to wait for was Hat Kid to…

“I… think it makes sense now.” Hat Kid said, looking away. Snatcher gave her a confused, but worried look. What was the kid thinking about all of this? “W-what do you mean…? What makes sense now…?” He asked.

“Well… you. You’re still angry at Vanessa… and you don’t want her hurting us. You saved us because you know what she can do, right…?” Hat asked. Snatcher’s face went from fear… to anger. He began to float away from Hat Kid without a word.

“Kid… as I sometimes say. Don’t be foolish around love. It can be the greatest experience at first… but the bitter cold of the truth will hit you at the worst time. But no matter what, always leave an open heart, even after a cold experience. You never know what will happen, and where life will take you. Now... I need to go. I want to be alone.” He said, whisking away with a sudden movement. He had teleported off, leaving a slightly stunned Hat Kid. 

It was all starting to make sense to her. Why Snatcher acted this way towards Vanessa. And the song… it made sense too. Why hadn’t he told her before…?  
Well… she was going to get to the bottom of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I apologize for such a long wait! I... uh... hit a strange writer's block. But aside that, I'll try to get a chapter out every few days! 
> 
> Also, I have a Twitter, if you'd like to check that out. I do art, and other shit like that.
> 
> (Here's the link to my Twitter: https://twitter.com/fennedragon341 )
> 
> And for the song Snatcher was singing, here's the YT link to it if you'd like to take a listen!   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW2ShCzwXmc
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed so far, and have an awesome day!


	5. Memories of The Cold

A whole day had passed since Vanessa had returned to the Manor after confronting Snatcher. That goddamn fool who thinks he can run away from his past. Who thinks he can just THROW IT AWAY and not care a single bit. But Vanessa was different. She cared about her past, and made sure to never forget. Hiding your scars was never a good strategy. Someday, you’ll be overwhelmed, and spill the secrets… and reveal said scars.

Like Snatcher.

Just thinking about him made her scowl. Why did he hide his past? She definitely saw how clueless those kids were… meaning he had not told them. It just confused and enraged her. Did he just not care that she existed? What she was before…before the monster took over… did that not matter!?!

SCCRRAAAPPPEEEE-

A single claw mark was left upon the wall. She couldn’t hold back her rage... it was all too much for her to handle at times. She was left in anger and tears every time she came to think up here. Where the monster couldn’t control her.

All of a sudden… she could hear something. Someone. And they were… singing…?

“Alas, my love, you do me wrong...”  
“To cast me off discourteously...”  
“And I have loved you oh so long...”  
“Delighting in your company...”  
“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady greensleeves…”

“If you intend to be this way…”  
“It does the more enrapture me…”  
“And even so I still remain…”  
“A lover in captivity…”

“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady greensleeves…”

“Greensleeves, now farewell, audeiu…”  
“God, I pray he will prosper thee…”  
“For I am still thy lover true…”  
“Come once again and love me…”

“Greensleeves was all my joy…”  
“Greensleeves was my delight…”  
“Greensleeves was my heart of gold…”  
“And who but my lady Greensleeves…”

A silent tear rolled down her cheek. That voice… she had only heard recently. It was… Snatcher. Her prince’s soul. But… why was he singing… specifically about this?

“Vanessa… Must you stay in this state forever…? I just wish… things could go back to the way they used to.” She could hear him whisper. 

She sat there, completely in shock. This song… was meant for her. And him. How he felt… was perfectly described in these lyrics. But the last part… it struck curiosity in her. The part about… still being in love. Still wanting to be together. Was that what he truly wanted? 

“Vanessa. Don’t listen to his petty song. He might be trying to make you let your guard down.” A voice called out from the stairwell. It was her friend… the only person who dare approach her, and talk to her. 

“B-but… what if he actually means it?” Vanessa argued, looking over at them. “Vanessa. Remember the last time you trusted him? If he truly means his words, like what he said when you locked him up… how do you know if he’s telling crooked lies? When fueled by hate, people’s opinions can change over time.” The figure reasoned. 

Vanessa thought about that. What if her prince was lying to her? But his words seemed so sincere… this was giving her a headache.

“I’m… I’m going to go talk to him.” Vanessa whispered, running down the stairs. With creaky boards, her exit wasn’t too quiet. The figure shook their head, turning around.

The figures sighs with disappointment. “That’s not a wise choice… but you do as you wish, my lady.” 

After Vanessa had completely left the Manor, the figure scowls, lashing out at a wall.

“No. I can’t let her get closer to him. Or else… I’d be forgotten. Lost in time.”

The figure reaches out a hand, and closes their eyes.

“I’m sorry Vanessa… but this is only for the best.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hat Kid sat on top of Snatcher’s tree for a while, continuing to process the information that was recently revealed to her. It was quite a lot of information to process, especially for a child like her. Wait… she was still on top of the tree! She had to go give this information to her best friend!

She quickly jumped off of the mushroom, using her umbrella to catch her fall. Once her feet were on the ground, she put on her Sprint Hat, and took off running in the direction Bow had gone to find Snatcher. She ran past trees, a few dwellers, and some of Snatcher’s minions, but no Bow. Was she still looking over in the far side of Subcon? 

That wasn’t a far-fetched guess, being Bow was quite serious when it came to seeking. Hat and Bow would play hide-and-seek when they weren’t saving the world, and Hat was the hiding champion. Bow would have to search for hours for her best friend, almost always filled with disappointment when she couldn’t find Hat. Eventually, Hat would come out of hiding, and tag Bow, being she lost if three hours had passed. Those were some good times. 

From out of nowhere, Hat felt something tap her on the back. She flinched, whipped out her umbrella, and turned around to see what had poked her. She was met with two purple eyes, and a smirk.

“There you are! I thought I heard someone come through here. Did you find Snatcher?” Bow asks curiously. Hat stood there, thinking about what she was going to say to her best friend. Should she tell Bow about Snatcher being the prince…? Would Snatcher care if she said anything? These thoughts circled in her head.

“Hat…? Hey, you okay? You’re being a little quiet all of the sudden…” Bow says, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

As Hat opened her mouth to speak, a cold wind gusted through the trees. A very abnormal thing for Subcon. The air began to chill by the second… something felt quite wrong. Hat and Bow looked at each other, and nodded. They both knew something was up, and they had to find out what.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Vanessa made her way out of the Manor, and past her wall of ice. She would again try to talk to the phantom noodle. Hopefully, all would go well. She had tried doing this once… but something strange had happened. One second, she was walking towards the bridge, and the next, she was back in the Manor. She had no clue as to why this would happen to her.

Before her stood a sight she very rarely saw. The broken bridge of Subcon. The one that was destroyed by her prince to keep their… his subjects safe. 

She looked downwards into the abyss of the broken bridge. There were pairs of yellow eyes glaring up at her from the fog. She wasn’t intimidated though. Those eyes had been there for centuries. As long as she could remember, they watched from underneath the bridge. 

She looked over at the forest ahead, getting a good look at her surroundings. The forest looked so familiar… yet so different from what it was like so many years ago. When… her and the prince were young. 

Then she caught sight of a certain tree. One that began to trigger a ceratain memory of hers.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Vanessa, hurry up! You don’t want to miss it!” The young prince called out, running along a trail. The princess was quickly running behind, boots crunching in the fallen leaves. Her prince had dragged her over to the forest to show her something. But… this was the first time she had ever been in the forest. 

She was never allowed to leave the town, even with guards. Right now, she was technically disobeying her parent’s rules. But… her prince insisted that she come with him to see something.

“Vincent…! Slow down, I can’t keep up!” Vanessa exclaimed, almost tripping on the dark green cloak she had been wearing for the majority of the day.   
The prince began to slow down, until he was walking right beside her. He definitely didn’t want Vanessa to be left behind, or trip and hurt herself. It was his job to keep the princess safe. “Sorry my lady… I just don’t want you to miss it.” The prince apologized, leading Vanessa over to a large tree. 

“Miss what, Vincent? You broke me out of the castle and dragged me all the way here… and you never told me what we’re here to see.” Vanessa said, holding Vincent’s hand. 

He looked her in the eyes, and smiled down at her. “It’s a surprise! Now… follow me carefully.” 

The prince guided Vanessa towards a glowing mushroom, and then let her hand go. He took off his cloak, and put it down, looking back at the confused princess. He squats down, and jumps up, landing on the mushroom, which launched him upwards onto a high branch. Vanessa watched in horror, yet awe at the prince’s stunt.

“Now, be careful Vanessa! I don’t want to see you getting hurt while we climb.” Vincent shouted, continuing to make his way up the tree. Vanessa dook a deep breath in, and jumped for the first mushroom. She felt herself being weightless for a few moments, and then felt solid ground under her boots again. She was pretty high up, but not too high. They had a long way to go.

About 15 minutes were spent climbing up the massive tree. Once Vanessa reached th peak, she was surprised to see a large glowing mushroom that was growing on the top, making a perfect platform.

Once both members of royalty were up, Vincent dragged Vanessa over to the edge of the large mushroom on top of the tree. 

“Alright… we’re here.” Vincent says, sitting Vanessa down next to him. 

Vanessa looked around, and gasped. The view of Subcon Forest that she received up here was gorgeous. Trees were littered about, and a light fog covered most of the mystical forest. The cold winds of the night were blowing past the duo, bringing a chill down the princess’ spine. But most importantly, they had an amazing view to the starry night sky.

Stars were scattered around the midnight blue sky, complemented by the silver moon that hung above. It truly was a gorgeous sight.

“Wow Vincent… how did you even manage to find this place?” The princess asked, still mesmerized by the glowing stars above. 

He chuckled, and looked down at his princess. “Well… I do a lot of exploring in my freetime. But I did bring you up here for another reason aside from this gorgeous view.” 

“And… what would that be?”

“Look over there. Right of the moon. Do you see it?” He began to point at something in the distance.

Vanessa looked over to where he was pointing, but saw nothing. “N-no… I don’t see it…”

“Allow me to help you see it then.” The prince says, putting an arm around Vanessa. She blushed at her prince’s touch, and his arm wrapping around her made her feel much warmer. He then guided one of her hands to point at the object. “Right there. Now do you see it?” He asked once again.

And lo and behold… she saw it. A large comet was streaking past at a medium speed. It had a tail of pure gold, and was truly an amazing sight.

“Now I see it…! I-it’s gorgeous!” Vanessa exclaimed, hugging onto the prince. She didn’t even realize how close and clingy she was getting. But… it truly didn’t matter to Vincent. He took joy in seeing Vanessa happy.

“That’s Rayllin’s Comet. It comes once every century, and you can only spot it if you’re in an isolated place, such as where we are right now.” The prince explains.

“Wow… thank you for bringing me here, Vincent…” She said, marveling the spectacular object in the sky.

“Of course, my lady. But… can you look at me really quickly? I have one more thing to show you.”

“Alright…?”

The prince cupped Vanessa’s cheek, bringing her face closer to his.

“They say… if you confess your truest feelings under this comet… your love for one another will grow stronger than ever. So… Vanessa… I should say it right now.”

“I love you so very much, Vanessa… you don’t know what I’d go through for you. Know that I will always love you, no matter what.”

And with that, the prince closed the gap between their faces. Vanessa looked to be in pure shock, her eyes wider than dinner plates. But she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms tighter around her prince. 

Once their lips parted, Vanessa looked her prince in the eyes. “I… I love you too, Vincent. You do so much for me… I don’t even know how to repay you!”

The prince smiled widely at Vanessa, bringing her in for another kiss. Of course Vanessa accepts.

The rest of that night was spent chilling there, just them and the stars.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vanessa smiled, remembering such a happy time. Maybe… they could actually go back to those times. They could be happy once again.

Suddenly… a feeling washed over Vanessa. One that felt like something was… strangling her. Before she strangely ended up in the manor, this is the feeling she would get. 

“N-no… NO! Leave me alone!!!” Vanessa yelled, gripping her head.

The pain was overwhelming… she was loosing it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alllllllright. That was a lot of stuff-
> 
> So, I think I've got an update schedule! I'll post one or (very rarely) two chapters every week!
> 
> Aside that, writing in backstory for Vanessa and Vincent (the prince) is probably my favorite thing to write-
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and have an awesome day!


	6. A/N #1

Hey everyone!

I've decided that with each five chapters of story I release, I do an A/N (Author's Note) so I can get feedback from everyone! I'd love to hear what you think, if you have any questions about my writing, and if there's anything I can do to make this story better!

Anyways, I'd like to thank you guys for the support, and I hope you all have an awesome day!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, It's gonna be a long journey of writing for me! I have this all planned out, and this is probably gonna be more than 15 chapters-
> 
> Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy reading!


End file.
